Lyman-alpha Forest in HDF-S Quasar J2233-606

This image shows a section of the high-quality UV spectrum of the quasar J2233-606 in the region of the Lyman-alpha forest at redshift z ~ 1.7, as obtained by UVES . These observations will make it possible to study the connection between the galaxies observed in the field with the HST and ground-based telescopes, as well as the absorption lines from hydrogen and metals seen in the spectrum, providing new insight into the physical processes governing the formation and evolution of primordial galaxies.